Florida § 658.33 - Directors, number, qualifications; officers.

§ 658.33. Directors, number, qualifications; officers.

(1) The board of directors of a bank or trust company must consist of at least five directors, each of whom must be elected, except in cases in which a director must be appointed to fill a vacancy. Elections are to be held at the annual meeting of stockholders or at a special meeting; however, if authorized by the articles of incorporation, a majority of the full board of directors may, at any time during the year following the annual meeting of shareholders, increase the number of directors of the bank or trust company by not more than two and appoint persons to fill the resulting vacancies. (2) Not less than a majority of the directors must, during their whole term of service, be citizens of the United States, and at least a majority of the directors must have resided in this state for at least 1 year preceding their election and must be residents therein during their continuance in office. In the case of a bank or trust company with total assets of less than $150 million, at least one, and in the case of a bank or trust company with total assets of $150 million or more, two of the directors who are not also officers of the bank or trust company must have had at least 1 year of direct experience as an executive officer, regulator, or director of a financial institution within the last 5 years. (3) Within 30 days following the annual meeting or any other meeting at which directors or officers are elected, the bank or trust company must submit to the office the names and residence addresses of those persons on a form adopted by the commission and provided by the office. (4) Each director, upon assuming office, must acknowledge that he or she is familiar with his or her responsibilities as a director and that he or she will diligently and honestly administer the affairs of the bank or trust company and will not knowingly violate, or willfully permit to be violated, any of the provisions of the financial institutions codes or pertinent rules of the commission. The signed copy of such oath must be filed with the office within 30 days after election. (5) The president, chief executive officer, or any other person, regardless of title, who has equivalent rank or leads the overall operations of a bank or trust company must have had at least 1 year of direct experience as an executive officer, director, or regulator of a financial institution within the last 5 years. This requirement may be waived by the office after considering the overall experience and expertise of the proposed officer and the condition of the bank or trust company, as reflected in the most recent regulatory examination report and other available data.